English: William Butler Yeats: The Wild Swans at Coole

The Wild Swans at Coole Summary

"The Wild Swans at Coole" expresses Yeats's sense of loss and the passage of time as he reflects on the beauty of nature and the constancy of the swans. While the landscape remains serene and the swans appear unchanged, the poet himself feels the weight of aging and emotional change.

Themes of The Wild Swans at Coole

Transience of Life / Passage of Time, Freedom (of the Swans), Nature’s calm beauty , Emotional Pain / Isolation / Regret

Transience of Life / Passage of Time Quotes

Nature's calm beauty

"The nineteenth autumn has come upon me"

"Trod with a lighter tread."

"Their hearts have not grown old;"

"Unwearied still, lover by lover,"

"Delight men's eyes when I awake some day"

"To find they have flown away?"

"The nineteenth autumn has come upon me"

This opening line immediately sets a tone of melancholy reflection and personal aging. The speaker marks time not by ordinary means, but by the cyclical return of autumn, a season often linked with decay, transition, and quiet sorrow.

The phrase "has come upon me" suggests that the passage of time is not actively embraced — it's something that happens to him, almost unexpectedly, as though he's been ambushed by the weight of years.

"Trod with a lighter tread."

Yeats recalls his younger self — unburdened, light-footed. A poignant (touching) contrast to his present, heavier emotional state.

"Their hearts have not grown old;"

Swans become ageless creatures. Yeats contrasts their passion and durability with his own ageing and emotional fatigue.

"Unwearied still, lover by lover,"

The swans remain tireless and united. This suggests a kind of eternal love or passion that Yeats feels distant from.

Delight men's eyes when I awake some day"

This line reflects Yeats's bittersweet hope that the swans — symbols of beauty, vitality, and timeless love — will continue to enchant others long after he is gone.

"To find they have flown away?"

This closing question captures Yeats's deepest fear — that one day, he will return to the lake and the swans will be gone.

It expresses more than just the possibility of their physical absence; it symbolises the inevitable loss of beauty, love, and meaning as time progresses.

The rhetorical question is left unanswered — mirroring how life offers no certainty, only change.

It leaves the poem on a note of existential anxiety: that the things we treasure most may vanish without warning

Freedom (of the Swans) Quotes

"And scatter wheeling in great broken rings"

"Upon their clamorous wings."

"Passion or conquest, wander where they will,"

"And scatter wheeling in great broken rings"

Their chaotic beauty shows freedom and natural instinct. "Broken rings" may suggest Yeats' sense of loss or relationships that haven't endured.

"Upon their clamorous wings."

The swans' noise contrasts with the silence of the setting, reflecting Yeats' internal turmoil despite the outer calm

"Passion or conquest, wander where they will,"

The words "passion" and "conquest" show that the swans live with strong feelings and power. They seem full of life and freedom — things Yeats admires but doesn't feel anymore.

The line "wander where they will" shows that the swans can go anywhere they want, which makes them seem free and full of energy. This is very different from Yeats, who feels stuck and no longer has the same sense of purpose or youth.

Natures Calm Beauty Quotes

"The trees are in their autumn beauty,"

"Under the October twilight the water"

"Mirrors a still sky;"

"Upon the brimming water among the stones"

"But now they drift on the still water,"

"The first time on this shore,"

"The trees are in their autumn beauty,"

"Autumn beauty" paints a picturesque scene, but autumn also symbolises ageing and decline — mirroring the speaker's emotional tone.

"Under the October twilight the water"

This line sets a hushed, transitional mood, with the phrase "October twilight" symbolising change, maturity, and quiet reflection.

October is a month of dying light and falling leaves, and Yeats uses it here to signal a moment suspended between light and dark, day and night, life and stillness.

"Mirrors a still sky;"

The water acts like a mirror, reinforcing the theme of reflection — both literally and emotionally. The stillness enhances the mood of quiet contemplation.

"Upon the brimming water among the stones"

"Brimming" suggests fullness — life still flows, even amid change. The stones evoke time and permanence in contrast to the fleeting nature of the swans.

"But now they drift on the still water,"

The drift is passive and gentle — beautiful, but it suggests a distance from Yeats. He cannot join them, only observe

"The first time on this shore,"

"This shore" anchors Yeats to a physical location tied to memory, suggesting that nature is a marker of personal history.

Emotional Pain / Isolation / Regret Quotes

"And now my heart is sore."

"They paddle in the cold"

"Among what rushes will they build,"

"And now my heart is sore."

A rare moment of vulnerability — "sore" captures emotional pain, regret, and a sense of loss as time moves on.

"They paddle in the cold"

The cold water suggests emotional chill, loneliness, and the inevitable decline associated with aging and the passage of time. Yet the swans remain undisturbed — they "paddle" with ease, grace, and resilience.

This stark contrast highlights a painful truth for the speaker:

The swans are untouched by time, while he is increasingly defined by it.

"Among what rushes will they build,"

Yeats imagines their future — one he's excluded from. There's sadness in not knowing where they'll go or what new beauty he'll miss.